Andor Széchényi (1865 - 1907)

Andor (András) Széchényi was the son of Ödön Széchényi, from his first marriage, to Baroness Almay. He was born in Pest in 1865 and died in 1907, in Nieder-Ollwitz.

Young Andor appears to have been a hot-tempered young man, having in his youth survived four pistol duels and seven sword duels. Between 1888 and 1890 he travelled to the South Sea Islands, then to Somalia from 1891 to 1893, subsequently making his way via Russia, Persia and India to China. His travel journals were published by the Austrian Geographical Society. Andor also went on test flights with dirigible airships.

He composed dances for the piano, including the Gedanken-Walzer (‘Thinking Waltz’), Ein Marsch mehr! (‘One More March!’) and his Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka, published in 1889 by J. Engelmann, Wien.

Andor was not only an accomplished swordsman and sharpshooter, but a good pianist.

Discography

Grand Piano has gained a reputation for producing high quality recordings of rare keyboard gems. Dedicated to the exploration of undiscovered piano repertoire, the label specialises in complete cycles of piano works by many lesser-known composers, whose output might otherwise have remained unknown and unrecorded.